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Fyphe
World: 'Fyphe *'Location: 'Subsector Adamantis *'Type: 'Feudal Knight World *'Tithe: 'Bullion/Agri Fyphe pays its tithe to the Imperium with precious metal that exist in abundance in the ground. It also pays a tithe of food to the Adeptus Mechanicus in return for technological support. *'Population: '213 million 000 000 *'Government: '''Feudal Monarchies. Fyphe is divided into territories ruled by various Dukes and in some cases small Knight Households. However they mostly all swear fealty to the '''Imperial Knight House Macrae. The House's High King is therefore considered the Planetary Governor. The current King of House Macrae is High King Rory Macrae. 'Description' Located close to the edge of the Sector, Fyphe was colonised during the Dark Age of Technology by a human civilisation that was equipped with Knight Walkers to combat the dangerous wildlife. During the Age of Strife Fyphe - like so many others - devolved into a feudalistic society and Knight World ruled by those dynasties that were capable of piloting the mighty war machines that protected the planet. However even with the defence of the Knights, the planet was crippled by the alien attacks of the Age of Strife, and lost almost all of their STC designs. Thus the people of Fyphe gradually devolved into a Feudalistic society with a strange mix of primitive & advanced technologies ruled by Households of Knight Walker pilots (or in some places ruled by non-Knight Dukes that were often vassals to Knightly Households instead). Following the Great Crusade direct Imperial control over Fyphe was highly sporadic, the feudal world instead allying with Adamant Prime & Forge Worlds and mostly governing itself. The mixture of feudal & advanced technology created a unique world where the common folk mostly use primitive tech like thatched homes & horse-drawn carts, interspersed with singular examples of advanced tech like mechanised harvesters and las-spears. Meanwhile conventional knightly orders - known as Knights-Lesser to distinguish them from the titanic Knight Walkers - also emerged as sworn bodyguards, enforcers, and peacekeepers of Knight Households and other territorial rulers. While they mimic the feudal knightly orders of old with polished armour, swords & shields, the Knights-Lesser use advanced materials like plasteel, ceramite & power fields in their equipment making them incredibly dangerous melee combatants despite a primitive and often highly stylised appearance. Typical Knight-Lesser plate armour will stop a bullet with ease, and their power shields can parry other power weapons and block even deadlier weapons like explosives & bolt shells. Meanwhile they utilise an array of power weapons including longswords, stilettos, and maces that can pierce almost any armour. Of course to earn this expensive equipment which can only be forged by Fyphe's finest smiths & artificers, a warrior must train to a level of extreme skill. Because of this, Fyphian Knights-Lesser are considered amongst the finest mortal melee warriors in the Sector (amongst warriors such as Restan Shinobi, Death Cult Assassins, and the best warriors of other primitive worlds). As a Knight World Fyphe was originally home to a great many Knight Households, but attrition over the millennia whittled them down to but a few. During the Long Storm of M36 the mass alien invasions took a severe toll on the Imperial Knights, and several decimated Households that had lost their strongholds amalgamated under House Macrae whose central palace-fortress had fared better than most and had the capacity for them. Soon eclipsing the other remaining Households in numbers & strength by far, House Macrae emerged from the M37 Reclamation Crusade as the undisputed rulers of Fyphe. Their rule was not without contest, and the large House Invermourne soon rebelled against the Macraes. Ultimately they were unsuccessful, and the remnants of House Invermourne - enraged as they were - fled into The Grave and formed a Chaos Knight Household that has plagued the Sector ever since. In M41 Fyphe is still ultimately ruled by House Macrae, though the other Dukedoms and smaller Knight Households that pay them fealty are mostly able to rule their own lands as they see fit. House Macrae directly rules the largest single territory and has the most powerful army of Knights-Lesser and Men-at-Arms, though is still sorely outnumbered in all aspects save Knight Walker numbers compared to the other territories combined. While House Macrae is allied with Nestorium and Adamant Prime, other Households have their own alliances with other planets & Forge Worlds to secure the technological support they need, and while most also ally with Nestorium to provide spare parts & training for their Sacristans, some have instead aligned with Agrotus or Yixiu and trade their Agri with them instead. Meanwhile when it comes to engaging in war for the Imperium (or Adeptus Mechanicus) every Household decides how they wish. Most will readily deploy their Knights at the behest of their allies but a far greater impetus is the promise of glory in battle that Knight Scions ever seek. Still, there are a number of Households of such few numbers that they rarely leave Fyphe at all. *'Technology:' / IV – Poor / Imperial - Fyphe has a strange mixture of primitive and modern technology due to the selective destruction of large amounts of their design records during periods of strife and warfare. Typically technology that was vital to their survival - such as Knight Walkers, personnel weapons & armour, and agri-harvesting machinery - was preserved, while everything else slid into a primitive state. The cultural slide into primitive feudalism ended up affecting even the preserved technologies as certain techniques were lost, resulting in things like plasteel maille, las-spears, and ceramite-lined stone castles. *'Military:' Almost every territory has an order of Knights-Lesser to keep peace and fight in battles & duels, and the Knight Households of course have their potent (though few in number) Knight Walkers. But the bulk of any territory's military are armies of Men-at-Arms equipped with feudalistic yet advanced weapons such as flak-gambessons, las-spears, las-locks, and mounted cannons. *'Strategic importance: 'Media Fyphe's precious metals are desired for their use in advanced technology, but are in the grand scheme of unimportant. The presence of powerful Knight Households does however make the preservation of this planet in the Imperium's best interests. *'Loyalty: 'Nobility 95% Macrae 40% The Imperium has very little presence in the day-to-day activity of this planet, only appearing to collect their tithe or supply technology. The Lords, Barons, Dukes & Kings however are ever-present and command almost total obedience from the populations they rule over. These in turn ultimately all answer to House Macrae, which has considerable support from populations even outside their own territory. Locations Fyphe is a moderately sized world that is temperate in climate overall though most of its landmass is located between the poles and the tropics so the chiefly habited areas tend to vary in weather quite dramatically with the seasons, from walm balmy summers to freezing snowy winters. While there are still some regions of extreme heat & cold, they tend to be sparsely inhabited if at all. Most of Fyphe's inhabited regions consist of vast farms & woodlands, along with a large number of rivers, streams, lakes, and a few mountain ranges that cut across the landscape. Most of the population lives in farming towns & villages dotted across the countryside, and are usually made of wood with the occasional stone fort or watchtower. The few settlements on Fyphe that could be called cities are almost always built around or nearby the central Palace/Castle of a Hold, and typically consist of densely packed wood & stone buildings and cobbled streets. By necessity these cities are always surrounded by many miles of vast farmlands needed to keep the population fed. 'Knight House Holds' Typically only the largest and oldest Holds on Fyphe are ruled by Knight Households, and there are only a few left after millennia of strife and warfare. *'Hold Macrae' - The largest Hold, located in the rough centre of the planet's largest continent. This large Hold is ruled by the Knight House Macrae - a Knight Household of around 100 full Knights & ~250 Armigers, and has a population of over 30 million mostly located in farming towns & villages that themselves are mostly found alongside rivers & streams. The central Macrae Bloodline directly rules a large region around Hearkstone Castle while the House's Barons rule other regions on their behalf. Dominated by large hills, valleys, and colossal farmlands, Hold Macrae has a very temperate climate though errs towards the cold more than the heat. **'Hearkstone Castle '- The ancestral Fortress of House Macrae, lying at Hold Macrae's centre kept seperate from regular settlements so it has the open space needed to use Knight Walkers freely around it. This is a massive fortification consisting of an opulent central palace and several secondary buildings (such as barracks and a large Chapel) all within a vast wall, and surrounding the walls are a vast great park also considered a part of the complex. Hearkstone appears to be constructed of great blocks of local stone but this is a mere facade laid over thick constructs of armoured ceramite & plasteel reinforced with power fields. Void shield projectors and underground anti-orbital weapon installations protect Hearkstone Castle from bombardments, whilst a large army of Knights-Lesser and Men-at-Arms secure it from any conventional attack with heavy cannons mounted atop the walls. It is beneath Hearkstone Castle that House Macrae's legion of mighty Knight Walkers are stored in a vast armoured complex that is heavily guarded by the Hold's best Knights-Lesser and maintained by the House's army of Sacristans. Each Knight Walker has its own arched vault where it may slumber for years at a time while awaiting a new pilot, and beneath this basement itself are great armouries stockpiled high with Knight Walker munitions. The entrance to this complex is a large stone-paved ramp in the Castle's massive central courtyard that drops down to allow passage between underground and surface. ***'Kennan's Keep' - The central Palace of Hearkstone Castle, named for House Macrae's fabled first High King. This opulent palace is a construction of high stone walls engraved with beautiful masonry and reinforced with ceramite cores. Its thick wooden doors reinforced with plasteel barding and its beautiful vaulted windows made of stained armourglass. This is the ancestral home of the central Macrae Dynasty of House Macrae, and its great throne room has been the seat of High Kings for over 10,000 years. Notable inhabitants: ****'Macrae Royal Family '- The ruling line of House Macrae, and a family that has occupied Fyphe since its origins in the Dark Age of Technology. The Household itself includes members from various bloodlines, but the central line - the Macraes themselves - are known as jovial individuals and can be easily recognised by their distinctive red hair. The Macrae Family dwells almost entirely within Kennan's Keep, though a few more distant branches may dwell in lodges & manors elsewhere in the Hold. They are firm allies of the Xerant Dynasty and generally only deploy to campaigns & crusades alongside Imperial Guard forces from Adamantis. Notable members: *****'High King Rory Macrae' - The current High King of House Macrae. ***'St. Hamish's Chapel' - A large and beautifully constructed church within Hearkstone Castle's walls. This is the worshipping place of the Macrae Dynasty as well as a mausoleum for the family's dead. ***'Valiance Tower '- This Barracks-Fort within Hearkstone Castle's walls is the headquarters of the Order Macrae, Fyphe's largest Knights-Lesser Order. While the Order Macrae has warriors stationed across the Hold, they train new Knights-Lesser into ferocious warriors within Hearkstone Castle's large grounds. ***'Donnegan Fortress' - This large military fortification is located almost immediately outside Hearkstone Castle's main gate. A dedicated defensive structure, Donnegan Fortress is a barracks to a large army of Men-at-Arms and its high ramparts and turrets are fitted with large cannons and other formidable defensive guns. ***'Manors & Lodges' - Hearkstone Castle and its vast grounds are filled with a number of domiciles ranging from small cottages to large stone manors, used as homes by servants as well as other branches of the Macrae Dynasty and many of the House's Knightly Vassals. But a few are Braston House, Heith Bridge Cottage, and Hightower Lodge. **'Wentmoor Castle '- A large castle that defends & controls the large region of Wentmoor within Hold Macrae. This is the ancestral home of the the Gardyne Dynasty - a Baronial bloodline and the Household's oldest dynasty aside from the Macraes themselves. The Gardyne's are noted as exceptional warriors and are the Macrae's most trusted allies, and Baron Gardyne rules Wentmoor on their behalf. Wentmoor Castle contains a small hanger for storing the bloodline's Knight Walkers and potent anti-orbital defences. **'Alverness Castle' - A large castle that defends & controls the region of Alverness within Hold Macrae. The Brawne Dynasty of House Macrae lives here and Baron Brawne rules the region on behalf of the Macraes. Much like Wentmoor Castle this formidable fortress has a small Knight Walker hanger and anti-orbital defences. *'Hold Wainrynn' - A large realm ruled by House Wainrynn, a substantial Knight Household of around 30 full knights and ~60 Armigers. The second largest Household on Fyphe, House Wainrynn's territory is approximately 1500 miles east of Hold Macrae and they have a fierce but friendly rivalry with House Macrae. The two Houses often hold Tourneys that pit their own Knights & Knights-Lesser against one another (with nonlethal weapons), and take great enjoyment in competing with each other on the field of genuine battle. Hold Wainrynn is allied with Yixiu, this young Forge World offering them excellent alliance terms when they first arrived to the Sector in M38. *'Hold Ferkundin '- Ruled by House Ferkundin, a small Household of 14 full Knights and ~30 Armigers. Located approximately 8000 miles west of Hold Macrae, this Hold borders the Great Western Sea and mobilises frequently to repel piratical coastal raiders and sea monsters (such as sand lizards, snappers and giant octopi) with the help of a large Order of Knights-Lesser and coastal forts of Men-at-Arms. House Ferkundin is allied with Agrotus, as this Forge World has a great interest in certain biological compounds harvested from the corpses of the sea monsters. *'Hold Bannister' - A large territory ruled by House Bannister. This modest Knight Household of 12 full Knights and ~25 Armigers watches over the northwest border of the Mournheart Desert. Festering with lethal Sandwyrms and reptillian Ingors, the Mournheart Desert is avoided by humans and its inhabitants kept in check by House Bannister and their warriors. House Bannister is allied with Nestorium. *'The Northern Holds' - These five large Holds are ruled by five tiny Knight Houses of no more than 4 full Knights and ~10 Armigers each. These proud Households moved north to desolate mountainous regions to escape the growing influence of House Macrae, and now skirmish with each other constantly over fertile land & mineral resources and must constantly fight off the dangerous native wildlife. They have no allied Forge Worlds - their Sacristans instead carefully tutoring their own successors - and have considerably divergent practices regarding Scion training due to necessity, often taking anyone the Knight Walker will accept. Meanwhile their Knights-Lesser and other warriors are known as some of the most battle-hardened on Fyphe. 'Dukedom Holds' Most Holds on Fyphe are ruled by Dukes rather than Knight Houses. While they rule their Hold entirely independently, Dukes are officially subjected to a tithe they must submit to the nearest Knight House - to help cover the tithe the Households must pay to both Imperium & AdMech. Thus only the Kings of Knight Houses can officially declare a Duke and extract a tithe from them. There have been times when a sufficiently powerful Nobleman has declared himself a Duke and attempted to form his own truly independent land, but such lands are effectively refusing to pay the Imperial Tithe and are therefore severely censured. *'Hold Celentis*' - A recently created Hold, consisting of former-Macrae land gifted to the Rogue Trader Antonius Edgar Celentis by High King Rory in return for the Rogue Trader's daring rescue of the King's daughter Rhona from vicious feral Charonites. Shares most of its border with Hold Macrae, but has Holds Walland and Maclergen on one edge. *'Hold Walland' - Bordering Holds Macrae, Celentis & Maclergen. The current Duke, Bruce Walland, has a notorously savvy politcal mind, having doubled his holdings over twenty years via strategic marriages and negotiations. *'Hold Maclergen' - Bordering Holds Macrae, Celentis, Walland & Mayfold. The current Duke, William Maclergen is old and content to rule his hold as-is. His son, Wallis Maclergen, has higher aspirations. Has a longstanding border dispute with Hold Mayfold. *'Hold Mayfold' - Bordering Hold Maclergen (on the opposite side of the Maclergen-Macrae border). Hold Mayfold's border dispute with Hold Maclergen has lasted for centuries, though has been peaceful for the previous few decades after Duke William Maclergen brokered peace with Duke Thurdo Mayfold. *'Hold MacCullen' - Located far-away from Hold Macrae. Duke Virgil MacCullen (a tall, thin man with a long black ponytail, and a refined high gothic accent thanks to being tutored by teachers from the spires of Tachion Primaris) took the throne in 327.M41 after the sudden death of his father, and since then has been mired by dark rumours. Most of these revolve around the belief that he finances - or even creates - roving bandit groups that pillage the fringe settlements of his neighbouring Holds. *'Hold Branthwaite' - A Dukedom that borders Hold Ferkundin and is therefore beholden to that Household. Hold Branthwaite also borders the Great Western Sea and therefore has a population particularly skilled in seafaring and shipbuilding. Category:Planet Category:Imperial World Category:Subsector Adamantis Category:Feudal World